The Desert Awareness Committee affiliates with FCF in Desert Foothills

May 12, 2010

SCOTTSDALE – Foothills Community Foundation (FCF), a non-profit organization dedicated to providing resources for education, community service and cultural enrichment to Desert Foothills residents of all ages announced on Monday that they will join forces with The Desert Awareness Committee (DAC).

The DAC is a non-profit community organization that focuses on ongoing stewardship efforts at Gateway Desert Awareness Park, the publication The Fragile Desert, the annual adult education program, Touch of the Desert, and the youth education outreach program, Desert Reach, which targets all fourth graders in the five CCUSD elementary schools. The DAC started in 1974 with a mission of “educating residents and visitors that they might join us in understanding, conserving and preserving our fragile Sonoran desert, its plant and animals, its water and wildlife.”

“This partnership is a perfect fit for FCF in its ongoing mission to serve as the community connection, offering learning and social opportunities, as well as support and development to emerging community needs.” said Bob Herrmann, president of FCF. “The Desert Awareness Committee is a perfect fit with us; we are working on new programs for kids and teens and they have established a solid program that teaches kids respect for the desert.”

The DAC volunteers will join FCF and will continue to operate as they did before to ensure that all programming continues. Together, both groups will work to further strengthen and grow the programs within the Desert Foothills community. FCF will assist the DAC in continuing the strong relationships with other community organizations, including the Cave Creek Museum, Desert Foothills Library, Town of Cave Creek, Carefree/Cave Creek Chamber of Commerce and the Desert Foothills Land Trust.

“The Desert Awareness Committee is thrilled to become affiliated with an organization that also holds education in such high regard,” said Diane A. Vaszily, president of DAC. “Together with FCF, we hope to expand our efforts further into the community with additional exciting learning opportunities involving the Sonoran Desert, its plants and wildlife.”